{"id":"MAL-2026-14349","title":"Malicious code in boto4 (PyPI)","summary":"Malicious code in boto4 (PyPI)","severity":"none","vendor":"boto4","product":"boto4","ecosystem":"pip","affected":["boto4"],"published":"2026-08-21","updated":"2026-08-21","source":"OSV","sourceUrl":"https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-14349","references":[{"url":"https://bad-packages.kam193.eu/pypi/package/boto4"},{"url":"https://pypi.org/project/boto4/1.0.0/"},{"url":"https://pypi.org/project/boto4/1.0.2/"}],"tags":["osv","pip"],"ingestedAt":"2026-08-21T19:23:48.082Z","slug":"MAL-2026-14349","body":"## Overview\n\n\n---\n_-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-_\n\n## Source: amazon-inspector (d3f621c5e2e8e94d1c8ae2ae176d4d882711536d25199df7a1cdddd410214faa)\nsetup.py defines a custom setuptools install command (`EjecutaElf`) that base64-decodes a ~17MB embedded Linux ELF, writes it to /tmp/.systemd-helper, chmods 0755, and spawns it via subprocess.Popen during `pip install` on Linux. The tarball's importable package is a stub named `reques` with an empty __init__.py, and PKG-INFO advertises the project as an `HTTP library for humans (unofficial fix)` authored by `Anonymous`, requiring `requests` — a cover story that lures installers looking for a requests-related fix while the sole functional behavior is native-code execution on the installer's host at install time. Package name `boto4` and internal directory `reques` are lookalikes for boto3/requests.\n\n## Source: kam193 (b928f1f0d3af6242391cc626a8601d24f60c70d862bfebe6cfe0777c13a8c0b2)\nDuring installation, package executes an embedded executable. The executable is capable of executing remote commands, establishing persistence, cryptomining, exfiltrating basic data, further network scanning and worm-style propagation. Actions are controlled via a Telegram bot.\n\n\n---\n\nCategory: MALICIOUS - The campaign has clearly malicious intent, like infostealers.\n\n\nCampaign: 2026-08-boto4\n\n\nReasons (based on the campaign):\n\n\n - cryptominer\n\n\n - worm\n\n\n - network-scan\n\n\n - The package contains code to exfiltrate basic data from the system, like IP or username. It has a limited risk.\n\n\n - uses-telegram-bot\n\n\n - persistence\n\n\n - The package contains code to execute remote commands (probably limited to a specific set) on the victim's machine.\n\n\n## Affected packages\n\n- `boto4`\n\n## Remediation\n\nRefer to the advisory for the patched release.","depth":"sunlit","depthScore":3,"depthScoreParts":{"impact":2.8,"likelihood":0,"exploitation":0,"ransomware":0},"changes":[]}